Barker Owen have been retained to appoint a Chief Technology Officer for a London-listed business with a substantial in-house engineering function. The CTO is the senior engineering leader, responsible for setting technical direction, leading the engineering organisation, and ensuring technology delivers measurable commercial impact. This is an interim opportunity but comes with the possibility of a future permanent appointment.
This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role for an engineering leader on an upward trajectory and will suit individuals excited by both leading teams and hands-on building.
What you will do
The CTO leads an in-house engineering function spanning software engineering, application development, automation, DevOps and architecture. Working in close partnership with peer technology leaders, the CTO is accountable for:
* Setting and executing the companies engineering strategy
* Leading the integration of AI capabilities across the technology estate
* Building, developing and raising the bar of the engineering function, with autonomy over hiring and team composition
* Setting technical direction and engineering standards
* Operating as a credible technology voice within the senior leadership team
Who we are looking for
This role is best suited to a VP of Engineering styled profile currently operating in a tech-led business and ready to step into their first CTO seat. We are looking for trajectory, energy and engineering credibility, prior CTO experience is non-essential.
* Hands‑on engineering leadership at scale, with a track record of running mature engineering organisations in tech‑led environments
* Strong proficiency with Java-based technology stacks
* Experience with the Microsoft enterprise ecosystem
* Use of AI‑assisted development tools (Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code or equivalents) with demonstrable productivity outcomes
* Demonstrated ability to integrate AI capabilities into customer‑or‑user‑facing technology layers
* Substantial people leadership experience
* Intellectually rigorous, with a strong analytical approach to business problem‑solving
* Collaborative and effective at translating business requirements into engineering execution
* Comfortable building and shipping at pace
* Energetic and self‑motivated
* Open to continuous learning and rapid adaptation
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